Dartmoor Zoo, Sparkwell, Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor Zoo, Sparkwell, Dartmoor National Park

Located between the southern border of Dartmoor National Park and the South Devon coast near Plymouth, Dartmoor Zoo is a superb zoological park made famous by a Hollywood film.

The story behind the zoo is remarkable and told in the book 'We Bought A Zoo' by Benjamin Mee to which we provide an external link. Whilst it's relatively small, the zoo's packed with extraordinary animals from tigers to lions, wolves to bears.

We've positioned Dartmoor Zoo on Google maps so zoom in on the 'Satellite' setting to see its location. Start from the large car park at the entrance to the zoo. Buy tickets and follow the path past the capybara, rhea, tapirs and ostrich to the main visitor centre. From there, various paths run around the zoo.

In addition to the tigers, lions, wolves and bears, you should see cheetah, jaguar, lynx and foxes. There's an area dedicated to birds of prey and open spaces in which to watch displays. The zoo is also home to a fine collection of owls. If you can, stick around for feeding times and talks. Watching the big cats being fed is an experience.

The zoo offers special attractions for kids. There's a fenced section in which children can get up close to goats, chickens and ducks. Kids have a play area as well. Whenever we've visited, we've been able to handle giant snails, snakes, spiders and other animals.

Thre's a restaurant and shop on site.

If you're looking for a unique gift then we'd recommend one of their Gift Experiences. These are outlined on their website. The zoo is a photographer's dream. The size provides close access to the animals. The zoo also runs special photography events.

Other wildlife attractions on Dartmoor include Dartmoor Otters and Buckfast Butterflies and The Miniature Pony Centre . Further away, try Paignton Zoo and Shaldon Zoo. You might also want to try special days out such as Dartmoor Hawking.


Address Dartmoor Zoological Park,
Sparkwell,
Plymouth,
Devon
PL7 5DG
Telephone 01752 837645
Area More information on Sparkwell